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 The first through westbound passenger train on the Western Pacific Railroad prepares to depart Salt Lake City at 7:00AM on August 20, 1910.  The next day, August 21, 1910, the first passenger train sits at Hartwell, which is now called Quincy Junction, as a Quincy & Western Railroad excursion train transfers the passengers to downtown Quincy for celebrations and to view a welcome parade.  Once all of the passengers reboarded the train at Hartwell (Quincy Jct) the first passenger train continued it's journey westbound down the Feather River Canyon. As the train pulls out company officials give a hardy wave to the Quincy & Western excurson train.  Further down the Feather River Canyon the photographer hangs out of the vestibule on the last car as the train approaches Rich Bar deep in the canyon.  The next morning on August 22, 1910 a crowd of well wishers greet the first train at Marysville.  Later in the day hundreds of folks greet the first passenger train at Stockton.  The grand moment has arrived. It is August 22, 1910 at 4:15PM and the first through Western Pacific passenger train from Salt Lake City arrives running down the middle of 3rd street in Oakland and under the welcome arch that was built by the city to welcome a new company into town.  As the engineer carefully inches his train under the City of Oakland Welcome Arch and through thousands upon thousands of cheering people he comes to stop in front of the Western Pacific Depot on 3rd street in Oakland right on-time at 4:15PM.  After the first through Western Pacific passenger train comes to a stop a photographer snaps a photo standing on top of steam locomotive No. 94 as the WP President makes his speech. The date is August 22, 1910. Our train, the Feather River Express will arrive in Emeryville , a few miles to the north, at approximatly 4:45PM one hundred years later on August 22, 2010.  Western Pacific No. 94, a 4-6-0 Alco built in 1909 had the honors of bringing the first passenger train down the Feather River Canyon and on into Oakland. Old No. 94 is now at the Western Railway Museum in Rio Vista Junction, California. |
